and because that was getting too long...

This is about Smokey going jumping on Sunday!

He had 3 classes, one show hunter, and 2 show jumping. Unfortunately it had been indicated that the show hunter would be on after lunch due to the rings, but due to lack of entries the rings were different to what the schedule said and show hunter started in the morning so it was pretty good timing I wandered over to see what they were up to, to find them putting the jumps up for the warmup round of my class!!! EEK!!!

I raced off to saddle him up, he wasn't plaited, he didn't get a warm up round (BIG mistake!) and wasn't warmed up well, well all the disorganisation showed and we were eliminated by jump #2 (oops!) but after jump #2 he continued on and did them all.

Another hour or so later and it was show jumping time, 60cm first and he had a clear round and came 2nd (it was a small class, but still, he did well!) Then the 70cm round where the wall came in and he did well right up to there! One refusal at the wall and 2 time faults and that was it, we were 4th and there were only ribbons to 3rd, collective "aaaaaaw" (silly Smokey LOL). By the end of that round he was sooooooo ready to finish, we'd been there over 7 hours already and he was mentally had it. But it was our first time out doing 'proper' show jumping and I'm still proud of the wee boy, considering the Show Hunter thing was my fault.

Here are some stills I got off the video's of the rounds...

3rd time lucky on this jump in the show hunter round!
and the wall cost us a placing too with one refusal at it...

Insecure dogs and horses

If you're on Face Book you may feel like adding your ideas about Animals NOT living in the "Now"

Have just been talking to the most beautiful, loving, soft natured dog who has some obsessive compulsive behaviours, a low self image, basically he feels/thinks he doesn't have the right to be happy, he fears being left. Have given his a few pep talks spread over a few days, linked him back into the Universal Energy or God Force, reminding him what his potential truly is. Unfortunately I just don't know whether that will be enough to get him through when the compulsions hit him, so have recommended some emotional type energy healing for him, fingers crossed that, combined with what mum will be putting in place emotionally for him, may get him through. On my 3rd or 4th link in with him, I got snuggled, he got right into my neck and face area and just snuggled in there for cuddles, sweet boy even told me he loved me, how's that for a softy?! Absolutely adorable troubled boy, am hoping it all helps enough he can stay healthy and have a chance to allow himself to be loved instead of just loving everyone else...

On a personal note I'm flying high! After 10 mths of Mac not being ridden, he now has been! TWICE! Go my gorgeous Maccy Boy! (and go me! I don't bounce like I did as a kid, and everytime I get dumped in the last 6 yrs I've ended up in hospital, probably why Mac has actually gone 10 mths since the last one!) But we were both ready, the first mounting session was a lesson in town with my instructor who is Mac's security blanket (and mine in a way because I know she can cope with whatever happens even if it is me crapping off hahahaha). The lesson came the day after some fantastic groundwork, but the fantastic groundwork followed me having to have an emotionally charged talk with him, letting him feel just how much I love him. Altho he's never shown it he has gotten a little insecure since I've been riding Smokey so much as he did before Smokey even arrived. I was so excited about all the things I'd be able to do with Smokey that I simply can't with Mac (like ride him bareback, and take off a jacket while I'm on him!) that Mac got rather depressed that he wasn't able to give me everything I wanted. Now the insecurities were back and everytime I tried to tell him (when ever I do anything with him!) how much I loved him I would find my mind drifting to Smokey, and I'd feel guilty and pull it back to Mac. It happened so often I thought I was starting to love Smokey more than Mac!!!

When I told him all the soft mushy stuff before our groundwork it felt like just words, there was no emotional connection with him, and quite suddenly my thoughts went to Smokey and a doubt came in. That's as well as I can explain it. Mac only comes to me in feelings, no words, no images, just straight emotion, can be REALLY tricky getting specific answers to anything from him by the way, and yet he'll "talk" to others LOL (I say it's because we're soooooooo connected ;o) Anyway this doubt came in as I thought of Smokey and eureka! I got it! Basically Mac was saying "Are you sure? I don't think you do" and inserting Smokey in there instead, aaaaaaaaaaw, my staunch as, dominant ass of a sensitive horse was thinking I didn't love him anymore! And it was HIM who kept making me think of Smokey, it wasn't ME! (Gawd, see how much they are always in our heads causing us havoc?!) So I told my boy the truth... I told him just what he means to me, just how much I love him, he brought tears to my eyes, but he let me back in and accepted all I was saying and hey presto, that emotional connection was back, it'd been HIM blocking that too!

We also had a little chat about letting go of past issues, that his past is just the first rung on a ladder that brought us together, that that ladder and his journey up it was infinitely precious because of where he has ended up, that his journey up that ladder has been a blessed journey and that I'm eternally grateful that he decided to take that journey. We had a lovely groundwork session, relaxed, calm, focussed on me completely (not a small thing since I'd put the other 2 out of the arena and into the back yard for more grass and Mac was 100% certain when I caught him he was going there too! hahaha!) My Maccy Boy was back with me.

So the next day was our lesson and he stood like a rock, it was like we'd gone back in time to last October before everything happened and just picked up where we left off.

And the next day we got back on at home, all by ourselves! I must confess I was nervous, for my ADHD boy who needs his routines, although we'd been doing ground work in the arena he's never been ridden in there before and the wind had flicked round to a sou'east which he hates more than the usual nor'west which he also hates, how dare the wind change direction?! But again, he stood like a rock and after 15 mins of walk and trot he decided he'd finished and stopped dead! He's never done that before (tried it at the lesson to when I was just finishing off with some mount-walk off-dismount)

So very proud of him, and very proud of myself getting over my lack of faith in my boy (cause lets face it, altho falling doesn't hurt, landing on the deck sure does!) but we're FINALLY all go again!

Spring is busy time!

Have caught up on work after that flu (phew!) and although I was only away in Auckland for a week it feels like it's been forever since I did anything! Had dressage on Smokes the weekend I got back, small classes (unregistered) but he got a 1st and two 2nds over the 2 days (nothing to skite about the marks were crap LOL) Mac was supposed to have his lesson today which would have seen us back on him, but the toad has put his back out under the saddle. I was brushing him a couple of days ago ready to do some more groundwork and the rubber curry comb along his spine nearly had him drop to his knees! I think I'll have to have a good chat to him about releasing some worries of being ridden again! Chiropractor is in town on Friday thankfully! Smokey has a jumping lesson on Thursday, chiro on Friday and Show Jumping and Show Hunter on Sunday :o) and Mac's lesson has been rebooked for NEXT Tuesday! Can't wait to get back on him!

Dogs are good, chooks are good and laying up a storm. Another shed is due to go any time now (well not "due" to go but a glut of free range eggs has seen the distributor telling all egg farmers to cull numbers! So my favourite shed might be going early! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!) Have about 20 sorted for a couple of horsey girls when it's time, hoping others will want some too as they're great gentle girls!

Marcus is learning stuff daily, today he drew a clock and numbered it and then put the hands at some significant times (like 3 o'clock for afternoon tea, 4 o'clock for cookie time etc LOL). He's a smart wee cookie! Don't know what he's going to do at school next year, he's doing it all now!

Nothing exciting to pass on work wise, nice to have people getting back to me afterwards confirming things though :o)

Pet and Animal Expo and the Flu!

crikey, without having gone to the Dr to get it confirmed I'm 99.9% positive the child and I ended up with Swine Flu and it sat me on my butt for about 2 weeks!!!

Actually I don't ever recall having a flu quite like that one even as a kid! But it has finally passed and the cough that preceded it is pretty much gone too (who would get the "100 day cough" and swine flu together?! Well, we don't do things by halves around here LOL)

So Marcus and I got up to Auckland where my mum looked after us and I had nana naps every day, and loved the fact I didn't have to go out and feed animals twice a day! Pet Expo rolled around on the weekend and I was actually feeling quite a bit better on the Saturday, although that damn cough was still doubling me over and my ribs are still buggered from all of that.

Expo from a stand holders perspective was good! A lot of people and a lot of people stopping to talk with us :o) A few comments about not enough freebies to be found (really the only freebies were from the feed people, not a lot of other stands had freebies they could offer!) something to consider for next year though, maybe some free little magnets or something! The Himalayan Crystal Salt sold really well as did Jeanne's Bach Flower Remedies.

Had a play with some rats there from the Ratty Club (quite like those intelligent little critters!)

Was nice to see the Ultra K9 dog food represented there (I'm the Marlborough distributor for that, good food!) and lovely to see Mirijana there with all the Bioptrons. Such a lovely helpful lady who sat me down and turned 3 bioptrons on me as I stopped to say hi, it was bliss :o)

So a good weekend was had but it was lovely to get home again too. Mac SCREAMED his welcome home to me and continued screaming until I went down there and gave him more grass to shut him up LOL.

Smokey has dressage this weekend after 2 weeks off, lucky he's such a good boy huh?!

Here are a couple of photos of the stand at the Expo...

My Main Man Mac

has been on the back burner for a while hasn't he?! 2 mths of very wet weather meant he didn't even get much groundwork, but I've pulled him out of the paddock lately and we're getting some groundwork under his belt again. He had one wee instance of testing who was boss, (gosh I love that dork!) but he's settled into the groundwork again well, still worried when I get into a position to mount him (not that I'm going to, just setting him up for success as he needs to have done, and desensitizing him again as it's being mounted that is his "issue") so still a bit of work to do but I am missing riding him, and he is finally getting bored in the paddock (he obviously needed a bit of a holiday!) I have promised him I'll take him jumping again too :o) He is looking forward to being ridden again, but he worries, about hurting me, about his reactions that he can't stop, of course that worry of his tenses him up and takes him that much closer to that breaking point where brain shuts down and he just reacts, so a bit of a catch 22 with him at times, but we'll get there again and soon! Before all that spring grass kicks in too much!

I just found a photo of him very recently uploaded onto our local photographers site when I was spotting the trail ride photo's of Smokey, so had to get it!

This was Mac at our 2009 winter dressage, he was doing level 3. What a handsome devil he is!

Pet Expo in Auckland is Drawing Close!

Just a reminder to all Aucklander's I'll be at the Pet Expo on the 18th and 19th of September. It runs from 10am-5pm Sat and Sunday at the Nth Shore Event Centre.

Adults entry is $10, Children under 5 are free.

I'll be at a stand with Jeanne Northwood from Energy Works, an energy healer, and Niki Wright-Jackman will be spending a wee bit of time with us too, Niki has just recently started up communicating with cats and is doing some great work with them :o)

I will have 'Pet Expo Specials' on vouchers for consultations and Himalayan Crystal Salt.

I will be there for the week leading up to the Expo too and available to do some consultations while I'm there.

Well Smokey has been busy!

Since the last post (gosh that was a while ago, where has the time gone?!) Smokes has done another Show Hunter day and his first competitive trail ride.
Show Hunter first :o) I thought the heights were 55cm, 65cm etc, but got there and found out it's 50, 60, 70cm etc so since Smokey hadn't seen ANY jumps since the ODE over a month prior I thought we'd just do the 50 and 60cm rounds (he'd done 65cm at the ODE) so entered him for those and decided to let him choose if he wanted to pick up a canter into the jumps etc (last lesson before the ODE was all just trot approaches) and he did a very nice 50cm round. The 60cm round unfortunately I was distracted by asking hubby to keep photographing the rider following me, turned away from him and lined up and jumped the last jump as jump #1 so was eliminated. He was jumping VERY nicely and I asked two of the organisers on the side line if they thought he looked like he'd do the 70cm OK (he was clearing everything with plenty of room!) and they were very much in agreeance that he'd do it no problems so we entered the 70cm round too. A little off in some of the striding for them, but cleared them all no hesitation at all, very very happy with the boy! And he won the 50cm round! Go Smokester!

Here is the only still photo I have of him jumping 70cm and it had to be taken off a vid clip as hubby had the camera on video mode by accident LOL. All the rest of the photos were completely mistimed and he didn't actually have the video camera running :o(

It's the first jump. The Flying Smokey LOL, a little out on the striding!
Last weekend was his first trail ride, just a 15km ride, he had a starting heart rate of 32, we had to push the end of the ride a little more than we wanted to make the time so his finish rate was 51, and final heart rate was 37. We came in 30 seconds under time and Smokey won!!! Was a GREAT ride, we had a gallop through the vineyard, and just had a ball. Very proud of his attitude throughout the entire ride :o)

oh yeah, the finish line!!!!
something about seeing Tracey the photographer there was obviously hilarious!
tidy your hair up there Smokey, the camera is out!aaaaaaaaw, I'm as proud as you are my wee dude, I luff you!
and here is the video of Smokey's winning round at Show Hunter :o) Jumps look so weeny!